Journals / Uluslararası Güncel Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 12 Sayı: 1

Sustainability of Volunteer Participation in Recreation Management: Leadership Strategies and Managerial Approaches

REKREASYON YÖNETİMİNDE GÖNÜLLÜ KATILIMIN SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİRLİĞİ: LİDERLİK STRATEJİLERİ VE YÖNETİM YAKLAŞIMLARI

Mert Mazhar Erduran(KAFKAS ÜNİVERSİTESİ SARIKAMIŞ SPOR BİLİMLERİ FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-2504-7978
Pages
167–183
Publication Date
2026-06-29
DOI
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that volunteer sustainability extends beyond volunteer recruitment and retention and should be understood as a multidimensional process involving volunteer selection, role matching, training, support, recognition, and integration into organizational processes.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:The purpose of this review study is to examine the sustainability of volunteer participation in recreation management within the framework of leadership strategies and managerial approaches.
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Key Findings & Data:The review demonstrates that transformational, servant, and ethical leadership approaches positively contribute to volunteer satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intention to remain, whereas the effectiveness of shared, participatory, and adaptive leadership depends more strongly on organizational and contextual conditions.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that volunteer sustainability extends beyond volunteer recruitment and retention and should be understood as a multidimensional process involving volunteer selection, role matching, training, support, recognition, and integration into organizational processes.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Recreation management · volunteer sustainability · volunteer retention

Abstract

The purpose of this review study is to examine the sustainability of volunteer participation in recreation management within the framework of leadership strategies and managerial approaches. The study employed a narrative literature review based on a comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed articles, books, institutional reports, and international publications focusing on volunteer management, leadership, recreation services, community sport organizations, and volunteer-intensive events. Relevant literature indexed in major academic databases and reports published by leading international organizations were systematically examined to identify the main determinants of sustainable volunteer participation. The findings indicate that volunteer sustainability extends beyond volunteer recruitment and retention and should be understood as a multidimensional process involving volunteer selection, role matching, training, support, recognition, and integration into organizational processes. The review demonstrates that transformational, servant, and ethical leadership approaches positively contribute to volunteer satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intention to remain, whereas the effectiveness of shared, participatory, and adaptive leadership depends more strongly on organizational and contextual conditions. In addition, management practices such as structured orientation, training, social integration, flexible scheduling, recognition, and data-driven evaluation emerge as critical determinants of long-term volunteer sustainability. In conclusion, volunteer sustainability in recreation management is a holistic and dynamic process shaped by the interaction of leadership approaches, management practices, institutional capacity, and contextual factors. The study provides a theoretical framework and practical implications that may assist recreation managers and organizations in developing more effective strategies to strengthen long-term volunteer engagement and organizational sustainability.

Özet

Bu derleme çalışmasının amacı, rekreasyon yönetiminde gönüllü katılımın sürdürülebilirliğini liderlik stratejileri ve yönetim uygulamaları bağlamında incelemektir. Literatür bulguları, gönüllü sürdürülebilirliğinin yalnızca gönüllü bulma veya elde tutma problemi olmadığını; gönüllülerin seçilmesi, uygun rollere eşleştirilmesi, eğitilmesi, desteklenmesi ve kurumsal süreçlere entegre edilmesini içeren çok boyutlu bir yönetsel kapasite meselesi olduğunu göstermektedir. Gönüllülerin uzun dönemli devamlılığını belirleyen temel değişkenler; motivasyon-rol uyumu, memnuniyet, örgütsel bağlılık, gönüllü rol kimliği, takdir edilme, rol netliği ve destekleyici yönetim uygulamalarıdır (Clary et al., 1998; Chacón et al., 2007; Hager & Brudney, 2004; Stukas et al., 2009). Liderlik açısından dönüşümcü, hizmetkâr ve etik liderlik yaklaşımlarının gönüllülerin örgütte kalma niyeti üzerinde güçlü etkileri olduğu görülmektedir. Bu yaklaşımlar, gönüllü memnuniyeti ve bağlılık aracılığıyla sürdürülebilirliği desteklemektedir (Almas et al., 2020; Benevene et al., 2018, 2020; Ngah et al., 2022). Buna karşılık paylaşılan ve katılımcı liderlik yaklaşımlarının etkisi daha çok bağlamsal faktörlere bağlıdır (Ibsen et al., 2019; Mumbi & Obembe, 2021). Yönetim uygulamaları açısından planlama, eğitim, sosyal entegrasyon, takdir, esnek zamanlama ve veri temelli değerlendirme süreçlerinin gönüllü sürdürülebilirliğinde belirleyici olduğu görülmektedir (Cuskelly et al., 2006; Schlesinger et al., 2015). Sonuç olarak gönüllü sürdürülebilirliği, bireysel motivasyonlardan ziyade liderlik, yönetim ve bağlamsal faktörlerin etkileşimiyle şekillenen bütüncül bir süreçtir.

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Cite This Article

Erduran, M. M., Ozlu, M. (2026). Sustainability of Volunteer Participation in Recreation Management: Leadership Strategies and Managerial Approaches. Uluslararası Güncel Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi, Cilt: 12 Sayı: 1, 167–183. https://ajindex.com/articles/1567817

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